Chapter 28:
Why the hell did I agree to this meeting? Cado thought to himself, sitting in his office with Lex Luthor across him on the other edge of his table, his bodyguard Mercy Graves sitting beside him. He didn't even know why Bulma scheduled for the man to come here, when he specifically told her that he wanted nothing to do with him.
"So you see Mr. Ur, this deal is quite beneficial to the both of us." Luthor said with a smug grin. "With the joining of our companies, we can take the world by storm!"
Cado rapidly blinked his eyes. Oh, shit. He's still talking. Act like I actually care... Trying... trying... aaaaaaaaaand... oh, fuck it.
Cado quickly brought out a tablet from under his desk and began typing on it, speaking while doing so. "Luthor, are you aware of why I started this business?" Hiding his smile at seeing the confusion on Lex's face, he continued. "I started this business for the betterment and advancement of mankind, and hopefully even further beyond. The joining of our companies would go against that very goal. I'm sorry, but I decline your offer."
That took Lex aback. "W-What?" Clearly he wasn't use to not getting his way.
Cado sighed, still not even looking up from his tablet. "I don't believe I stuttered Lex. I'm declining your offer. Your company manufactures weapons and gains profit through blood and countless corpses. My company was made to save lives and support knowledge, both on this Earth and beyond. We're done here."
"You can't do this to me!" Luthor exclaimed, standing up and slamming his hands on the table. Mercy suddenly looked alert, rising up to put a hand on his shoulder. "You dare accuse my company of profiting off of blood?! How dare you, alien scum!"
"Lex, that's-" Mercy started to say, but Luthor pushed her off of him, turning to snarl at her.
"Get your hands off of me, peasant! I own you, and if you think that you can control me-" Luthor retorted, looking as if he was going to slap Mercy. The bodyguard closed her eyes, awaiting the hit... only for nothing to occur. She opened her eyes a bit, shock quickly settling on her face.
Cado stood in front of her, one hand holding his tablet while the other was clenching Lex's hand in a vice grip. "And there it is," Cado said, smirking. He simply twitched, and Luthor's hand shattered like paste. The bald businessman screeched as blood spurted from his destroyed hand, the bones shattered into microscopic fragments, further damaging his hand.
"Now, let me tell you something, Luthor..." Cado hissed, leaning in close to glare at the whimpering and snivelling man. "The fact that you can't accept your faults, and try to attack your bodyguard because of that, doesn't sit well with me." Cado released the mutilated man, grabbing him by his collar and raising him up. "Another thing is your obvious xenophobic traits. They were as clear as day for someone as intelligent as myself. But, thankfully, I have tougher skin that prevents the so-called 'smartest man on the planet'..." Cado snorted at the title, the bald man having dubbed himself that at one press conference.
"... to insult me. But another thing I seem to have..." Holding up his tablet in front of Luthor's face, he tapped it, allowing several recordings to take place. Ones that had Luthor's paling and fear-filled face to turn from ten to a hundred.
On the tablet, it showed a recording of a basement shipping off weapons - such as rifles and advanced guns - with the 'Lexcorp' brand printed proudly on the front. Another tap had the tablet show several criminals kill and attack innocent civilians, until Cado showed up to kill them in return. The recording zoomed in on a Lexcorp weapon with blood staining it.
Another tap had the tablet show something else; wasn't a visual recording, but rather an audible one. "So, can I expect more weapons being shipped off to us?" an unknown female voice asked, her voice sounding more and more clearer on the device.
"Of course," Luthor's voice answered clearly, the smugness obvious to anyone listening. "Just as I expect for you to aid me once I begin my campaign for becoming president of Metropolis."
"Really?" the woman's voice asked, incredulity clear in her tone. "You don't exactly have a squeaky clean record, Luthor. Plus, how do plan to take care of Big Blue?"
Luthor scoffed. "Superman will be of no concern to me. Him, and that utter filthy annoyance, Cado, will be taken care of. Have no fear. The Kryptonite minerals that my men have obtained should be able to affect the two aliens from running several tests."
The woman on the other end sighed. "This better work, Luthor. If any finds records of this-"
"Have no fear," Luthor assured. "Everything is under control."
Cado decided to cut the feed off, enjoying the completely pale look on Luthor's face. "Well, Luthor. Is everything under control?" Cado queried, smirking.
"Y-You... y-you wouldn't..." Luthor stuttered, looking terrible as he fumbled over his words, sweating profusely.
"Wouldn't what? Reveal this secret to the entire world, dragging your name through the dirt and crushing your reputation due to you consorting with unknown people for illegal actions to kill two renowned figures?" Cado hummed contemplatively. "You're right."
Luthor's and Mercy's shocked faces had Cado almost burst into a fit of laughter, but the Saiyatonian controlled himself. "Oh, don't think this is me showing you mercy. No, I'll just keep holding this over your head, and making you my proverbial bitch in the process. Besides, you still are needed for something important that I have planned." Speaking of which, said object of attention was just waiting outside.
"But let me remind you, Mr. Luthor, of something very crucial." Cado stalked forward, immensely enjoying Luthor's frightful face as he desperately backed away, his back hitting the wall. "I. Own. You. You even think of telling anybody of our little meeting, and I'll report you, and send your ass to maximum security. You think of trying to fight against me, I'll crush you like an ant. And you ever think of getting the bright idea that you're remotely superior to me..." Cado leaned forward and whispered, "I'll make sure that delusion dies as quickly as you do."
Cado stepped back, smiling as he gestured towards the door. "Well, don't let your door hit you on the way out. Oh, and leave Mercy behind. She'll be under new ownership."
Luthor couldn't run out fast enough. He dashed out at speeds that made him raise an eyebrow, his whimpers following him out.
Cado turned to look at Mercy, who looked down with tears in her eyes. "I take it that his treatment of you is a regular thing, huh?"
Mercy went to her knees, pleading towards the Saiyatonian. "P-Please, I beg you! Don't arrest me! I-I only knew about only a little bit of his plans! A-After this, I... I won't have anywhere else to go!"
Cado bent down, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry," he consoled. "I'm not as big of a big bad as baldie made me out to be. If Lexcorp doesn't appreciate her services, Rao Industries can take you in. Although," here Cado gave a friendly smile, "I don't think I'm going to actually need a bodyguard."
Mercy's lips quirked into a small smile as she wiped her tears away. "T-Thank you, s-sir."
Cado chuckled, helping her stand up. "I'm not big on titles around here. You can call me 'sir', or 'Cado'. Or even 'Van-Ur'. And don't worry about Luthor pressing charges against you, or trying to lock you in jail. I'll take care of it." Cado sighed as he felt the ki signature outside get closer. "Hey, Mercy. I have some business to take care of. Go down the hall to the left, you should see Kasumi. You should recognise her straight away, she has the whole wallflower look going down."
Patting her on the back, Cado guided Luthor's former bodyguard as he stared outside the windows in his office, sighing. He stepped towards it, pressing a hidden button on his desk as he stepped out, his battle armour being opened from a capsule and being donned. The windows closed after he immediately flew out.
Cado stopped a good distance in the air, sighing. "Do you always spy on people's meetings, Kal-El, or am I just special?"
Superman floated a good distance away from his godbrother, frowning heavily. He had wanted to have a 'talk' with Cado. Particularly about his killing criminals. However, he had quickly seen Lex Luthor arrive by limo, and had decided to wait until their meeting was finished. He couldn't hear anything from through the windows. The only altercation was that he could see Luthor shouting at Cado, the Saiyatonian crushing his hand - something that almost made Superman want to step in - and Luthor leaving after Cado seemed to play something. He had decided to stop viewing, having already seen enough.
"What were you talking to Luthor about?" Superman demanded, glaring at Cado.
The Saiyatonian raised an eyebrow. "I fail to see how that's your business."
"I make my business when an argument leads to you crushing his hand," Superman hissed. "Now answer the question."
"Like I said..." Cado said, suddenly appearing in front of Superman, who was slightly stunned at the speed. While he could track Cado's movements, he clearly wasn't expecting him to move so quickly. "... I fail to see how that's your business." The Kryptonian made to speak, but Cado raised his hand. "Stop puffing your chest. Just get to the real reason you're here. I have better things to do than prove that I'm your intellectual superior."
Superman bristled, but continued. "I don't like your methods of dealing with criminals. You have no right to kill anyone just because they act outside the law."
"Like how you're doing?" Superman hesitated, but Cado continued. "Any my methods are yielding results, unlike yours. I don't see an arrest on me or my company. Do you?" Cado sneered. "Or, is it the fact that I'm supposedly doing your job better than you could ever do?"
Superman growled, eyes red. "You're not even doing what you're doing for the right reasons. You just want to prove that you're better than me! And you have no right to perform your heinous actions! Much less in my city!"
Cado chuckled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "By Rao, you really are a piece of work. Listen, Kal-El. I don't need to prove to be better than you. I already am. And I am trying to prove a point, for your benefit, of course." Cado folded his arms, his grin wiped off of his face. "And who exactly ordained you to claim that Metropolis is your city? What right do you have, Kal-El, to claim that my actions are heinous and unwanted? That blue on your bodysuit doesn't make you one of the police! It, nor your powers, give you the right to allow others to do what needs to be done!"
"You're wrong! My powers-" "Just because you have powers," Cado hissed, "doesn't give you the right. You're not a god, Kal-El. If anyone, including you, says otherwise, then they're fools. Just because you're a Kryptonian doesn't give you the right to force people to bend to your ideals. It doesn't work. Not with the citizens you try to protect. Not to the scum of this world that you claim to protect. And certainly not with me."
"Isn't that what you're doing?" Superman retorted, an arrogant sneer on his face. "Forcing others to bend to your ideals with your own business and tech? Your own murders?"
Cado sighed, shaking his head. "Run that through your head, dumbass. I said 'forcing people'. I'm not forcing anyone to listen to me. If anything, I'm clearing their heads from your dirty laundry - which you clearly can't handle, just from looking at your underwear - and guiding humanity to a better future." Cado smiled suddenly. "You know, I think I can get why you're acting like a douchebag."
"Oh? Do tell," Superman hissed angrily. "Let's see what the great Cado can figure out! Enlighten me."
"You were basically raised as a human before finding out that you were a Kryptonian. You obviously had to deal with the typical human interactions, unable to express yourself due to your rapidly growing powers. In short, 'Clark Kent' was unable to express himself as a human, so 'Superman' has to compensate for the needed attention he so deserved. Of course, that as well as your staunch 'no-killing' made you as you are. A disgrace as a Kryptonian."
"At least I'm not half-Kryptonian, and am a proper full-blooded one," Superman shot back angrily.
"And yet, you know nothing about your language, your culture, your parents' lifestyles and goals, nor the legacy that they left you." Cado shook his head. "Oh, yes. I'm sure your parents are very proud of you and your actions. All the while rolling in the gra-"
Cado had seen the angry expression on Superman's face, and had thus seen him elevating his body forward, hitting him with both of his fists in the chest. The Kryptonian didn't stop there. He kept on flying forward, pushing Cado back each time.
His armour protecting him from the attack, Cado continued to look amused as he and Superman went flying. "If you think I'm supposed to be intimidated, you're going to be disappointed!" Holding out his hand, a quick succession of ki blasts were shot out, all aimed at Superman. Each blast connected successfully, making Superman grunt and weaken his flight. The final blast blew him away, leaving him open to the roundhouse kick Cado delivered to his chest, slightly winding him.
The two aliens backed away from each other, flying under their own power. Quickly warping in front of Superman, Cado gave a cry of "Shoryuken!" as his flaming fist uppercutted the Kryptonian into the air above, again leaving himself open to the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku Cado performed. Grunted, he gave flew back and delivered a quick set of brawler punches, Cado blocking the few that became faster.
"You wanna fight?!" Superman yelled, rearing his fist back and decking Cado on the side of his face, launching him backwards. "Fine! I'll prove just how superior I am to you!" Superman flew after him, his fists raised.
Cado just floated in the air, wiping off the trickle of blood on his chin. "I may actually try being serious," he muttered. He gave a high kick that Superman narrowly blocked, followed by several jabs that he was able to evade. Roaring, Superman gave his own kick that Cado caught, followed by an axe-handle that Cado dived under, still dragging Superman's leg.
Spinning around, Cado started to pick up speed as he threw Superman further away, the alien's yelp following him. Flying after him, Cado immediately passed him and grabbed his cape, accelerating even faster. "Let's take this somewhere else," Cado commented, dragging the Man of Steel by his cape to an isolated desert a good distance away from the city.
With a roar, Cado flung Superman to the ground, the alien hitting it with a loud THUD. The rising and flying sand obscured the crater that had formed on impact. After a few seconds, red eyes started to become visible. Cado quickly evaded the beams of heat vision headed his way, disappearing and reappearing in multiple places. The heat vision stopped suddenly as Superman disappeared.
Cado grunted as Superman reappeared behind him, punching him from behind. He was launched to the ground, but negated his inertia by performed a quick handstand and pushing himself off the ground, flipping himself from the ground to avoid Superman's aerial charge. Just as he landed on the ground, Superman flew at him at high speeds. Cocking his fist back, the Kryptonian passed through a grinning Cado, who faded away.
Confused, Superman narrowly dodged the flying kick from behind, contorting his body to deliver a surprise uppercut. However, Cado's tail slapped away the fist, surprising him. A double-fisted axe-handle followed through to the head, making Superman temporarily see stars in his vision.
Seeing him dazed, Cado held out his palm and shouted out, "Apex Cannon!" The azure ball of ki flared to life, blasting into Superman and pushing him back, connecting with the sandy ground again in a bright explosion.
Cado landed on the ground, his sharp vision picking through the smoke. He saw Superman cough and inspect his scuffed and bruised form in slight surprise, as if no one had ever pushed him this far. Cado scoffed. If this little scuffle of theirs was the only proper challenge Kal-El had faced, then this match was already in his favour.
"Understand this, Cado. You can't beat me," Superman announced, blowing away the dust and smoke with a wave of his hand.
Raising an eyebrow, Cado warped away again. Superman's powerful hearing picked up the displacement of air behind him, and he turned around... only to receive a flurry of powerful kicks from behind. Cado had expected for Superman to react to his warping during the fight, but he had acted too quickly. His second warping gave him the proper opening he needed.
Cado continued with his powerful kicks all over Superman's body, before disengaging after delivering several to Superman's collarbone and neck. His eyes vibrated as his Destruction Beams shot forward, connecting with Superman successfully as the Kryptonian cried out in actual pain this time, blasting forward into the air. Cancelling the beams, Cado watched as Superman floated in the air, cradling his chest where his symbol laid, seeing the actual burn marks that had mostly destroyed the front of his suit.
Panting, Superman fired off his arctic breath as Cado shot forward, body alight with a solar aura. Performed a Psycho Crusher, Cado blitzed through the field of ice as he collided with Superman's chest again, making the hero grunt in pain as he fell from the air... wide open for Cado to blast off his Freeze Rays, the solid beams of ice piercing the Man of Steel's chest and making him cry out again just as he landed onto the ground, clutching at his body in pain.
Reappearing on the ground, Cado fired off his Multi-Bullet Volley. Grunting, Superman moved at high speeds to dodge the ki attacks that multiplied even further and followed after him. Growling, Superman's heat vision flared to life, blasting all of the attacks away.
"You're still holding back, Kal-El," Cado taunted, making Superman snarl. Blitzing forward, Cado was impressed as he was struck by a powerful blow, the sound of thunder ringing across the field.
"Then maybe I should stop," Superman retorted, before flying off after him. In the air, the Kryptonian was peppering the Saiyatonian with a mutlitude of blows, many of them drawing blood from the Saiyatonian.
"Had enough?!" Superman cried out, finishing the attacks off with a punch that blew away all of the nearby clouds, sending Cado downwards to the ground, connecting with it with a massive BOOM! Cado's body was buried beneath a heap of sand.
Superman panted as he inspected the damage he'd caused to his opponent. "Had... enough?" he panted, his arrogance rearing its head. After hearing no response from Cado, he scoffed. "All that talk, and you still ended up buried under dirt."
Sneering at him, Superman made to fly away, only to hear movement. Stunned, he turned around to see Cado pulling himself out of the sand he'd been buried under, dusting himself off. He was even more stunned upon seeing that he was still able to move. A quick X-ray scan showed that nothing was broken.
"W-Wha-" Superman managed to get out, before he had a fist collide with his stomach painfully, making him cough out blood.
"Not a bad warm-up," Cado commented, wiping off the stray blood from the cuts and bruises formed on his face. "At least you can actually push me. But if that's you when you're not holding back..." Grabbing Superman by the front of his suit, he lifted him up in the air. "... then let me show you how to properly do battle."
Throwing him to the side with force, Cado disappeared and reappeared in blurs, afterimages trailing his body as Cado delivered powerful blows that rattled Superman's body. The Kryptonian grunted as he was drilled head-first into the ground, then dragged by his head upwards. He didn't even have time to catch his bearings, before a powerful headbutt slammed into his own, making him cry out.
Cado grinned. He'd admit: Kal-El matched him in physical power. However, he fell short in fighting skill, speed, accuracy and destructive force. And it was time he showcased this.
Kicking Superman into the air, Cado flew after and overtook the Man of Steel, floating at a certain point above him. Cracking his neck, Cado performed a devastating combo via Emperor's Fist. Pressure points were struck at, bones were broken, blood flew, and Superman's consciousness waned from each blow. Backing off, Cado finished his combo off with a Kamehameha, blasting Superman to the ground and producing a crater larger than any had been made during this battle.
Cado floated down, reaching into one of his sleeves and dropped a Senzu bean on Superman's face. "When you actually get your head out of your ass, eat this. It only heals physical wounds. Egos being crushed? Well, replace your head and remove that stick from your ass, and you should be fine." With a nonchalant wave, Cado left Superman's nearly unconscious body. "At least you've shown me how weak your conviction is, Superman."
Cado flew away, leaving the Man of Steel broken.
XXX
Cado flew through the air, slightly enjoying the feeling of victory. Shrugging to himself, he decided to take a lap across most of the city, his sight eventually landing on Washington D.C. It was mainly the afternoon, so the sky was still alight brightly. He looked at the sky, enjoying the high buildings, the nearby floating clouds that Cado briefly touched, and even the bright lights in the sky - Wait.
Cado blinked as he approached the lights in the air, screeching to a halt as he almost bounced off of one almost orbiting him. He could feel the mysterious energy in the lights suddenly turn erratic, before detonating. Cado closed his eyes as he halted his flight, landing on the ground in a crouch, the ground cratering below him.
"Woah!" were the shouts that came from a small crowd around him. Cado's eyes blinked rapidly, removing the light from it as he whirled around, sensing a number of ki signatures around him, including one that was definitely larger than the average human. Turning around, he came face-to-face with a female face.
The woman was beautiful, and was also dressed in a stage magician outfit. The only difference that hers had from a regular one was that it seemed to accentuate her body. She had long black hair, blue eyes, black lipstick and tanned skin.
Cado blinked, as did the woman. The two stared at each other in shock, clearly not expecting to run into each other. Or in Cado's case, drop in.
"That was amazing, Miss Zatanna!" a kid's voice called out in excitement. "I didn't think that Cado would be in your great act!"
The woman named Zatanna blinked, turning to look at the audience now staring at the Saiyatonian. "T-That's right!" she quickly uttered, going along with what the kid had said. "I did want it to be a surprise, but it looks like my partner had to ruin it!"
"Partner- what the hell are you talking about, woman?!" Cado retorted, confused. Surprise? He didn't even plan on acting in this silly show!
Zatanna laughed. "Oh, Cado! You're so good at acting your surprise even me!" As she laughed, she looped one arm around Cado, whispering into his ear. "Just roll with it, please."
Cado furrowed his eyebrows as the stage magician backed away, a fearful look suddenly appearing on her face. She managed to hide it, however, as she laughed falsely. "Well, that's all I have for you at this time! But hopefully, you catch my main acts later on this week! Have a magical day!"
The crowd dispersed, though not before taking pictures of the two famous people before them. Several kids had ran up to Cado to greet him, and he had done his best to calm himself and answer them as best as he could. When the crowd was finally done, the Saiyatonian turned to the magician. "Partner, huh?"
Zatanna rubbed her arm sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that. You, quite literally, dropped in and ruined my magical light show. So I had to improvise."
"Magic?" Cado queried, intrigued. He'd never actually come across a person claiming to be a magician. Hell, the only person he could even think of off the top of his head was Roshi's sister, Baba. And she was more into fortune-telling than actual magic.
Zatanna quirked an eyebrow. "Don't tell me that the alien from outer space doesn't believe in magic?"
"I believe in magic, trust me. I've just never met a magician before." Looking at the stage and props around them, he raised an eyebrow. "Especially not one who does actual magic acts."
"What can I say?" Zatanna shrugged. "I kinda find it to be a lot of fun. Plus, it gives me an excuse to actually perform magic freely, even if most don't believe it to be real magic. But enough about me. Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"
"I'm pretty sure you already know about me," Cado muttered.
She frowned. "That doesn't mean that you can't be polite and act like a gentlemen. Don't they have manners on your home planet - uh, planets?"
Cado looked confused. "What is that? Some kind of food?"
"... Oh my God, you actually don't know what manners are?" Zatanna questioned, shocked. "Oh, my bad! Well, on this Earth, manners are what you use to greet people-" SHe paused at his snickering, furrowing her eyebrows. "What the hell is so funny?"
"Relax, I'm just fucking with you. I know what manners are," he laughed, seeing her face grow angrier at being duped. "And for your information, my name is Cado. Or Van-Ur."
Zatanna calmed down, hands on her hips. "Really? I thought 'Ultraman' sounded better," she retorted with snark.
Cado's eyebrow twitched. "If you ever call me that, I'll throw you into the sun."
Zatanna patted his cheek, smiling. "That's cute." She turned around, missing Cado's furious scowl as she waved her hand, muttering, "Ckap yawa." All of her props vanished away.
"And what are you supposed to be called? Magical Girl?" Cado snarked, mentally calming himself down.
"Please, nothing so mundane." Spreading her hands, magical lights danced around her as she posed dramatically. "I... am the amazing, illustrious and mysterious... Zatanna Zatara!"
Cado just looked annoyed. "... I think you may be the most dramatic and silliest superhero I've ever come across. And compared to fools like Superman, that's saying a lot."
Zatanna frowned, the lights fading away as she poked his armoured chest. "For your information, I am neither dramatic nor silly! I am beautiful! Mysterious! Bewitching! And- wait, how'd you know I was a superhero?"
"Lucky guess," Cado shrugged. "If it's any consolation, you're probably one of the only superheroes I've met or researched that actually use their own names, rather than some stupid title."
"That's mainly because I fight supernatural threats, rather than mundane ones," Zatanna commented, shrugged. "Not really a need for a 'superhero identity'. But enough about me. How is it that you have such a..." She gulped slightly, "... massive life force?"
"You must be talking about my ki," Cado commented, holding out a ball of ki in his hand. "I use it to do many things; flying, increasing my strength and speed, and blowing stuff up. Admittedly, the most fun part."
Zatanna stared at the orb, almost transfixed. "To be able to do all that... I've heard of people using their life force for supernatural feats, but what you're describing... it's almost impossible to comprehend."
Cado shrugged. "Maybe for you, it's impossible. For me, it's normal for me." He dismissed his ki ball. "Although, I'm curious... how well can you manipulate your magic?"
Zatanna puffed out her chest, hands on her hips. "You're looking at one of the greatest sorcerers on the planet! I bet you I can do anything that you can do!"
Cado snorted. "A tall order. Most of what I can do can be easily broken down in theory by either demonstration or science."
Zatanna made a face. "Gah, science! Magic is where most of the fun is!"
Cado rolled his eyes. "I'm not interested in a science vs. magic debate with you. I already know which one I can trust, and what I can do."
He made to fly away, but Zatanna whispered to herself, "Probably afraid of me winning."
Cado's face twisted angrily. Afraid? Afraid?! He didn't have shit to fear on this planet, much less a supposed sorcerer! While he was able to believe in and give credit to magicians and sorcerers - knowing that there were some that occupied Krypton, and even Torquasm-Vo having some qualities of magic to it - he was a scientist, plain and simple! He wouldn't allow anyone to diss his field, much less his pride.
Whirling around, Cado glared daggers at her. "Alright, witch! You wanna go?! I'll show you how much better science is than magic!"
Zatanna cocked her hips. "My, my. Seems that alien men aren't that much different from human men. You all get so riled up when challenged by women." Raising her hands, magic lit upon her fingers. "Well, if you're so eager to lose, be my guest."
"I'm so going to enjoy proving you wrong."
"Oh, is that your way of flirting?"
Cado scowled heavily as Zatanna laughed, both being teleported away with a spell.
XXX
"Thank you for agreeing to talk with me, Mr. Ur," Lois thanked, smiling as she sat up from her seat in the main office of Rao Industries.
"It's no problem, Miss Lane. And please, call me Cado," Cado said with a smile.
"Only if you call me Lois," she responded, making Cado chuckle.
"Lois it is," Cado remarked, leading her towards the door. "I'm just glad that it was you they'd actually sent. Your partner, Mr. Kent, would be... problematic, to handle?"
"Really?" Lois questioned, frowning. "Clark's an honest-to-God Boy Scout. There really shouldn't be any problem with him."
"It's him that actually has a problem with me," Cado retorted, shrugging. "Frankly, I think it's because he's just jealous that you're interviewing me."
Lois blushed as she made to retort, but couldn't say anything.
"Let me call a cab for you," Cado requested, coming to the door and pressing a tablet attached to the wall near the door. He frowned as the electricity seemed to suddenly fail in the tablet. In fact, Cado frowned as the electricity seemed to not be working in his building at all.
"What's wrong?" Lois asked, confused. "I didn't know you got power outages in this kind of place."
"That's because I don't," Cado said as he kept on pressing the screen of his tablet. Suddenly, the screen started to blur horribly, an awful screeching noise coming out of it.
Just when things couldn't get weirder, they indeed did. A dark form appeared on the screen.
"My name is General Zod."
Cado's frown of confusion turned into shock. That name... Zod?! He recalled the name coming from the stories and small interactions he'd had from his parents on Krypton. But that was impossible! Zod was supposed to have perished with Krypton!
Lois held onto his arm worriedly, clinging to it. "Cado, what's going on?! Is this som sort of terrorist attack?!"
Suddenly, his mates rushed into the door, all looking alarmed. "Cado, what's going on?!" Cammy questioned, suddenly alarmed.
The voice on the screen continued, "I come from a world far from yours."
Across the world, many devices were used to transmit the being's voice. Places such as the registered computers and smartphones at the Daily Planet, the Batcomputer underground monitored by Batman himself, the devices and technology used in places like Lexcorp and Star Labs... it was going on everywhere around the world.
"I have journeyed across an ocean of stars to reach you. For some time, your world has sheltered one of my citizens. I request that you return this individual to my custody. For reasons unknown, he has chosen to keep his existence a secret from you. He will have made efforts to blend in. He will look like you, but he is not one of you."
In the Daily Planet, a recovered Clark Kent's eyes widened at the name of the person speaking, as well as their words. Zod... General Zod? But that was impossible! He was the last Kryptonian! It was almost impossible for there to be more!
"To those of you who may know of his current location: the fate of your planet rests in your hands."
Cado's eyes tracked the screen, and then looked outside through his window. He looked upon the dark vessel in the sky, seemingly blocking out the sun and a majority of the sky. He was unsure as to what the hell was going on. All he knew was that he had to find Kal-El. Otherwise, him and the rest of Earth would possibly die.
"To Kal-El, I say this: surrender within 24 hours… Or watch this world suffer the consequences."
As Zod had said this, the image and the voice was removed from all knowable devices and technology, returning them to the way they were before... but no one was settled by this. Not at all.
Clark sunk into his seat, staring at the ship that was visible even outside the Daily Planet, as if it was his harbinger of destruction.
Okay, okay, I get it.
Kronium345, why didn't you update around Christmas?! Where the hell were you?! What have you been doing. Etc.
And I get it. But I had to deal with some family issues. Honestly, I was gonna post this on Christmas Day, but got sidetracked by celebrations and some good ol' family drama. And trust me, no one can get shit done when family drama is around.
Anywho, hope y'all had an awesome Christmas, and will hopefully have an even more awesome New Year. I'm glad I managed to post this on at the very start of 2020.
Most of the stuff in this chapter was pretty much expected, so I won't gloss over it too much. Only new and somewhat unexpected bit was Cado running into Zatanna. A little meeting I wanted to add for future references.
MoS will officially start next chapter. In the meantime, I'll move away from Solaris for a bit, maybe focus on Celestial Ascension. It has been a damn good while since I've written anything for that story.
I'd love to say that my New Year's resolution (or at least one of them) will be me updating my stories more, or posting new stories... but I don't wanna lie to you all. So lemme just say my own is to try and be less of an asshole (can't possibly fuck THAT up, he says sarcastically) among other things I should do but never planned to actually go through with.
Guest review time:
1) Of course he is.
2) Duh, of course Imma continue
3) Plz speak English
4) I'm not trying to rush it, it just isn't my strong point. So I gloss over it.
Aight with that done... Happy (late) Christmas, and Happy New Year!
(P.S. - Sorry for not responding to people on PMs and Discord! I'll try and do so before the day goes)